This offseason, the Indianapolis Colts need to improve several positions, such as safety and tight end. But what wide receiver? ESPN analyst Dan Graziano thinks the team could go after Cincinnati Bengals receiver Tee Higgins this spring.
“Do the Colts have the means to make a run at Tee Higgins,” wrote Graziano. “Sure. The Colts should be around the middle of the pack in terms of cap space… They don’t tend to use it all in any one offseason… But if this is the way they wanted to go, they could absolutely make a run at Tee Higgins.”
“The Michael Pittman Jr. extension (signed last offseason) isn’t an impediment, either. Pittman’s 2025 cap number is $23 million, but the guaranteed money on his contract runs out after this season. So the Colts could build a Higgins contract that pushes the bigger cap number into 2026 and beyond. Again, this is if Indianapolis wanted to do this — pursuing Higgins on a big-money deal just doesn’t feel like a move the Colts would make.”
Tee Higgins is a great receiver, but the Colts don’t need him. They should focus their attention, on addressing other positions instead.
No, the Indianapolis Colts Should Not Pursue Wide Receiver Tee Higgins
His Career Thus Far
Tee Higgins starred at Oak Ridge Higgins in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. He caught 68 passes for 1,044 yards and 18 touchdowns during his senior year.
After originally committing to play college football at the University of Tennessee, Higgins ultimately chose Clemson. He played three seasons with the Tigers, helping the team win a national championship as a sophomore.
The Bengals selected Tee Higgins in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft. He finished his rookie year with 67 receptions for 908 yards and six touchdowns. His 67 catches tied a franchise rookie record which was set by Chris Collinsworth back in 1981. The record was broken, though, the following year by fellow receiver Ja’Marr Chase.
Higgins recorded 1,091 yards and six receiving touchdowns during his second season. He also helped the Bengals reach Super Bowl LVI, where they fell to the Los Angeles Rams. In that game, he had two touchdowns (one for 75 yards) and 100 receiving yards in the 23-20 loss.
In 2022, Higgins had his second consecutive 1,000-yard campaign. He recorded 911 yards and a career-high 10 touchdowns last season.
Why the Colts Shouldn’t Go After Him
Sean Ackerman of SI.com pointed out that the Colts already have a stacked receiving corps:
“Standing at 6-foot-4, Higgins is a one-on-one beast,” wrote Ackerman. “His elite jump-ball ability separates him from the pack and could make him a lethal weapon in the Colts’ offense. The issue is, the Colts already have a stacked receiving corps. Pittman, Alec Pierce, Josh Downs, and AD Mitchell headline a young, capable group of pass catchers. If the Colts make a move on Higgins, there would be too many mouths to feed.”
Ackerman is right. The Colts do have a solid wide receiver corps. Last season, Alec Pierce (824), Michael Pittman Jr. (808), and Josh Downs (803) each had over 800 yards. It was the first Colts trio to accomplish the feat since 2004 (Reggie Wayne, Marvin Harrison, and Brandon Stokley). Adonai Mitchell is coming off an unimpressive rookie year (312 yards and zero touchdowns), but he can potentially be an impact receiver for the Colts.
Higgins played all of last season on the franchise tag, and according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the Bengals plan to use the tag for the second straight offseason if they can’t agree to a long-term deal with the star receiver. If the Colts want Higgins, they’ll likely have to trade for him. They would have to give up some draft capital in such a deal. The team needs to keep their valuable draft picks, though, as they look to upgrade several positions.
Spotrac predicts Tee Higgins will have a market value of $25.4 million annually. That’s a lot of money to spend on a position they don’t need to address. Instead, the Colts need to spend their money on improving their defense, which struggled mightily in 2024.
Main Photo: Sam Greene – Imagn Images
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